Sheet-handling machine.



APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. IBM.

Patented Jan; 29; 1918.

J 1 m g o w z 5 mu Q M k g. g 1 o 8. Q i o 2 w r Mv. @m w Wm @N fi a m g@a Wihwsses BARBER.

SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV.l2|19l 4- I 1,254,876. Patented Jan. "29,1918.

I Wthsses:

H. M. BARBER. v SHEET HANDLING MACHINE. APPLICATION F ILED NOV- IZ, 19H-menwdfim 29,1918.

H. M. BARBER. s'um HANDLING MACHINE. APPUCATION FILED NOV. 12.19H.

Patented Jan. 29,1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4- H. M. BARBER.

HEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APP'L-imo'n' mm nov.12. I9l4. 1,254,876. Patented Jan. 29,1918,

5 SHFETS-SHEET 5- UNITED STATES PATENT oFFioE.

-HOWARD M. BARBER, F STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 G. BHCOTTRELL6t SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SHEET-HAN DLIN G MACHINE.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HOWARD M; BARBER, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Stonington, in the countyof New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement 'in Sheet- Handling Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

()no object of this invention is to provide means whereby a signature isstitched While at rest and is then removed from the stitcheg' table at aspeed sufficient to cause it to clez': r the next succeeding signatureas it is fed onto the stitcher table, such arrangement permittingthestoppin of the signature on the stitcher table a sufficient time toallow it to be accurately stitched.

Another object is to provide means for adjusting the opening and closingmovements of-thev grippers on the cylinder which takes the stitchedsignature from the stitcher table and folds the signature, so-that thegrasping and releasing moments of the grippers -may be timed withrespect to the folding operation while the machine is in operation, forinsuring the accurate folding of the stitched signature.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in which that part ofa sheet. handling machine-isillustrated which includes my in-.

vention,

Figure 1 is a vertical central section taken from front to rear throughthe machine,

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section taken from front/to rear frame,

Fig. 3 is a detail similar section taken just inside the. far sideframe,

connection between certain of the parts, ig. 5 is a detail section takenjust outside the near side frame and showing the driving connectionbetween certain other of the parts, 7 a

Fig. 6 is a sectionshowin-g the device for adjusting the pins whichcontrol the operation of the grippers on the folding ofi' cylinder inside elevation,

Fig. 7 is asection showing the said device in front elevation, Y

Fig. 8 is a'"secion taken in the plane of Specification of LettersPatent.

just inside the near side Fig. 4 is a detail section showing the driv-Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

Application filed November 12; 1814. Serial No. 871,848.

the line AA of Fig. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 9 is a detail section similar to Fig. 7 with certain of the partsremoved and other parts broken away. j

The stitcher table is denoted by 1, the stitcher by 2, and its drivingshaft by 3, which stitcher may be of any well known or approvedconstruction adapted to stitch a signature While the movement of thesigna-' ture is arrested.

The signature transfer cylinder 4: is mounted on a shaft 5 and its setof grippers 6, is arranged to transfer the signature to the "-se't of.grippers 7 of the transfer cylinder 8 cylinder 8 and the pulleys 13, 14.The end- I less tapes 11 pass around the pulleys 15, 16, 17, 18. Thesheet stop 12 is mounted on a rock shaft 19 to which is fixed a rocklever 20 having a studor roller 21 under the control of a rotarycam 22rotating with the male folding cylinder 23. This cylinder-23 has a setof. tumbler actuated grippers 24 and the floating tucking blade 25 of afolding mechanism. r i

he female folding cylinder 26 carries the floating folding jaws 27 ofthe folding mechanism. y e v The shaft of the male folding cylinder 23is denoted by 28 and the shaft of the female folding cylinder 26 isdenoted by 29. I A suitable delivery mechanism is employed for deliverinthe stitched signatures from the female folding cylinder 26, whichdelivery mechanism,

comprises the two sets of endless tapes 30,

in the present instance,

31, the endless tapes 30 passing around the cylinder 26 and the pulleys32, 33, and the endless tapes 31 passing around the ulleys 3e, 35, 36.The signatures are de ivered from the delivery tape carriers onto adropper delivery mechanism 37 from whence the signatures are droppedonto the tapes 38 of an endless delivery carrier, which tapes passaroundv suitable pulleys 39, 40.

The transfer cylinders 4 and 8, the tape carriers 10 and 11, and thestitcher 2, are driven through the train of gears 41, 42, 48, 44, 45,46, 47, 48, 49. 7

The male folding cylinder 23 is driven from the vertical shaft 50through the train of gears 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, to which lastnamedgear the rotary cam 22 is fixed.

The female folding cylinder 26, the endless tape carriers 30, 31,: andthe dropper delivery mechanism 37 are driven through the train of gears57, 58, 59, 60, 61, -62, 63.

The endless delivery carrier 38 is driven from the shaft 29 of thefemale folding cylinder 26 through the bevel gears 64, 65, shaft 66,worm gears 67, 68, and spur gears 69, 70.

The relative speeds of the driving mechanisms hereimihove referred to,are such that the stitched signatures are withdrawn from the stitchertable at a speed equal to or :itcr than the speed of the press thusgiving ample time for the stitching of the signature while it rests onthe stitchcr table and the removal of the stitched signature withoutinterfering with the oncoming next succe ding unstitched signature.

'lr ,he relationship of the parts as shown in the accompanying drawings,the shafts 5 and 9 of the transfer cylinders, are driven at the samespeed as the shafts 28 and 29 of the folding cylinders. The stitchedsignature in this instance will be removed from the stitcher table at agreater speed than its feeding in movement because of the lar ercircumference of the male folding cylin'er The movable sheet stop 12 isheld in its stoppin position about one-half the revolution of the malefolding cylinder 23 and in its released position the other half of therevolution of the said folding cylinder.

The cam mechanism for controlling the floating of the tucking blade andfolding jaws in parallelism during the folding of the signature off fromthe male foldin cyl inder 23 onto the female folding cylin or 26 willnot be specifically described herein as it is of well known andapprovedconstruction and forms no part of the present invention. v

I employ adjustable means for closing the grippers 24 onthe male foldingcyllnder 23 at their signature receiving point and for opening theleasing point so that the position of the signature with respect to thefolding device to insure an accurate folding of the signature may beregulated without disturbing the operation of the folding device or theoperation'of the machine. I

The adjustable means which I have here- ,in illustrated is constructed,arranged and operated as follows: The shaft. 71 of the grippers 24 isprovided with a tumblercam grippers at their signature re 72 which isengaged bythe pin 73 at the signature receiving position of the grippersand by the pin 74 at the signature releasing position of the saidgrippers. The pin 73 is carried by a bracket 7 5 fitted to slide on astationary bracket support 76. The pin 74 is carried by a bracket 77fitted to slide on a stationary bracket support 78.

A gib 79 serves to hold the bracket 75 in position on its support 7 6and a gib 80 serves toliold the bracket 77 in position on its support78? These brackets 75, 77, with their pins 73, 74, are movableconcentric with the shaft 28 of the male folding cylinder 23 so as tokeep the pins 73, 74, at all times in-their proper radial position withrespect to. the ripper tumbler cam 72. The bracket 75 ant its pin 73 areadjusted circumfercntially by an eccentric cam 81 on a shaft 82 mountedin the bracket sup ort 7 6 and gib 79, which shaft is turned ro'm a handshaft 83 through a worm and gear connection 84, 85. This hand shaft 88is mounted in a bracket 86 secured by bolts 87 to the support 76 ISimilarly, the bracket 77 and its pin 74 is adjusted circumferentiallyby an eccentric cam 88 on a shaft 89 mounted in the'sup port 78 and gib80, which shaft is turned from a hand shaft 90 through a. worm and gearconnection 91, 92. This hand shaft is mounted ina suitable bracket 93,secured to the support 78 by bolts 94, The handles of the shafts 83 and90 are denoted, respectively, by 95 and 96. The gib 79 is secured to thebracket support 75 by the bolts 97 and the gib 80 is secured to thesupport 78 by the bolts 98.

The supports 76 and 78 are independently adjustable in a rotarydirection on the side frame, in the present instance, by providing theframe and the supports with holes 99, 100, engaged by adjusting bolts101.

By the term cylinder. as used in the description, I contemplate anysuitable means for passing the sheets and signatures through theprescribed paths and by the term grippers I wish to include any engagingdevices suitable for the purpose of leading the sheets or signaturesthrough said prescribed paths. 1 i

It will be seen fromthe above description that the signature may bestopped a sufficient length of time to be properly stitched and is thehremoved by a device which will start it off the 'stitcher table at aspeed which will insure its free removal from the stitoher, tablewithout interfering with'the incoming unstitched signature.

It will al be seen that by the provision of stationary means for adustin the operation of the grippers on the fo ding off cylinder, theaccurate folding of the stitched signature may be accomplished withoutstop- 55 Y mechanism for arresting the-movement of ping the machine orinterfering with its operation.

The adjustable means for controlling the operation of the grippers onthe male fold- What I claim is: 1. A stitcher mechanism, means forfeeding signatures thereto, movable means independent of the stitchermechanism for arresting the movement of the signatures during thestitching operation, rotary means including grippers for positivelyremoving the stitched signatures from the stitcher mechanism in the lineof their travel to the stitcher mechanism, and means for folding anddeliveringsaid signatures.

2. A stitcher mechanism, means for feeding signatures thereto, at acertain speed, movable means independent of the stitcher mechanism forarresting the movement of the signatures during'the' stitchingoperation,'and means for positively removing the stitched signaturesfrom the stitcher mechanism inthe line of their travel to the stitchermechanism, at a speed equal to or greater than their feeding-in speed.

3. 'A stitcher mechanism, means for feeding signatures thereto at acertain speed,

movable means independent of the stitcher mechanism for arresting themovement of the signatures during the stitching operation, means forpositively removing the stitched signatures from the stitcher mecha-'nism in the line of their travel to the stitcher mechanism, at a speedequal to or greater than their feeding-in speed and means for foldingand delivering said signatures.

4. A stitcher mechanism, means for feeding signatures thereto at acertain speed, movable means independent of the stitcher mechanism forarresting the movement of the signatures during the stitching opera-'t-ion, and rotarymeans including grippers for positively removing thestitched signa;

turcs from the stitcher mechanism in the line of their travel to thestitcher mechanism, at a speed equal to or greater than their feeding-inspeed.

A-- stitcher mechanism, means for feeding sigh-aturest hereto at acertain speed, lnovable means independent of the stitcher the signaturesduring the stitching opera tion, rotary means including grippers forpositively removing the stitched signatures from the stitchcr mechanismin the line of 6. A stitcher mechanism, means for feeding signaturesthereto, movable means ine dependent of thestitcher mechanismi forarresting the movement of the signatures durs ing the stitchingoperation and means for positively removing the stitched signatures fromthe stitcher mechanism in the line of their travel to the stitchermechanism, and folding the signatures comprising rotary foldingcylinders, coacting folding devices carried thereby and signaturereceiving and releasing grippers carried by the folding-off cylinder. i

7. A stitcher mechanism, means for feeding signatures thereto, movablemeansindependent of the stitcher mechanism for arrestingthemovement ofthe signatures during thestitching operation, means forositivelyremoving the stitched signatures rom the stitcher mechanism inthe line of their travel to the stitcher mechanism, and folding thesignatures comprising rotary folding cylinders, coacting folding devicescarried thereby and the signature receiving and releasing gripperscarried by the folding-oil 4 cylinder, and devices for controlling theoperation of the and releasing points.

8. A stitcher mechanism, means for feedgrippers at their receiving ingsignatures thereto, movable means independent of the stitchermechanismfor arresting the movement of the signatures during thestitching operation, means for positively removing the stitchedsignatures from the stitcher mechanism in the line of their travel tothe stitcher mechanism, and

folding the signatures comprising rotary folding cylinders, coactingfolding devices carried thereby and the signature receiving andreleasing grippers carried by the folding-oil cylinder, devices forcontrolling the operation of the grippers at their receiving andreleasing points, and means vfor independently adjusting the saiddevices for adjusting the fold line in the signatures.

9. A st-itcher mechanism, means" for feeding signaturesthereto, movablemeans independent of the stitcher mechanism for arresting the movementof the signatures during the stitching operation, means for positivelyremoving the stitched signatures from the stitcher mechanism in the lineof their travel to the stitcher mechanism and folding the signaturescomprising rotary foldingcylinders; coacting folding devices car riedthereby and the signature receiving and releasing grippers carried bythe folding-oil cylinder, devices for controlling the operation of thegrippers releasing points, and means for independently adjusting thesaid devices for adjusting the fold line inthe signatures, While thecylinders are rotating.

10. A stitcher mechanism, means for feed at their receiving and V ingsignaturesthereto, movable means independent of the stiteher mechanismfor arresting the movement of, the signatures during the stitchingoperation, a rotary cylinder having grippers thereon for positlv'elyremoving the stitohed signatures in the line of ,their travel to thestitchet mechanism,

and means for adjusting-the point where the grippers engage thesignature,

11. A stitcher mechanism, means for feeding signatures thereto, movablemeans inde pendent of the stiteher meel mnism for mu resting themovement of the signatures during the stitching operation, a rotaryey1inder having grippers thereon for positively removing thestitohedsignatures in the line of their travel to the stitcher mechanism, andmeans for adjusting the point Where the grippers engage the signature,while the cyl-

